NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY TOURNAMENT OF EXCELLENCE
representative sample of 550 people in various kinds of housing programs. “We weren’t just looking at records or
talking to people running the organiza- tions, but looking into the lives of homeless people,” says George. “We followed every- body for a year. We learned about them at the beginning, who they were, how they got there, what their problems and needs were, and what they thought of the pro- grams they were in. We wanted to find out what was happening at each stage.” What they found out was that, as
suspected, permanent or interim housing was far better in helping people to get on their feet than temporary, overnight hous- ing. Approximately two-thirds of those in temporary shelters, where they checked in each night and checked out each morn- ing, seemed to be “stuck” in the system. In interim housing, which is longer-term but not permanent, the proportion was closer to one-third. Secondly, the quality of services offered—such as case manage- ment or professional services—to those in housing made a big difference. “They want someone to be their ad-
vocate—someone who’s skilled to point them in the right direction,” says George. “And they want the tools to really advocate for themselves.” For example, many of those interviewed
had health or disability issues that likely should have qualified them for govern- ment aid, but they needed help navigating the forms and systems to actually access that aid. “What this research really showed is
that we put a lot of effort into the housing piece, and housing works and housing services work. It wasn’t a surprise,” says Benito. “Where we need to have more work is in this coordinated, consistent access to services that create a clear path back to housing.” George and Grossman recently
presented the results of their research to Mayor Emanuel, and they are confident that the city is taking their research into consideration in forming a plan for the next 10 years.
* Statistics from Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness
Senior debaters Nick Locke and Elvis Veiz agree to disagree.
of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. At season’s end, the Loyola team ranked No. 14 out of the 750 debate teams in the nation. Although the Loyola debaters didn’t make it to the finals, it was a remarkable journey for the pair who have been debate partners and close friends since high school.
How did you become interested in debate?
Nick: My mom won first place as a high school debater in Vir- ginia. I said: “I’m going to be a nerd. People are going to beat me up.” But I grew to love it.
Elvis: I played middle line- backer and fullback on the football team. One day my freshman year, two friends tried out for debate and en- couraged me to join them. By junior year, I quit football and devoted myself to debate.
How do you prepare for a debate tournament?
Elvis: We study a range of
Room for friendly debate F
or the second straight year, Loyola senior debaters Nick Locke and Elvis Veiz competed in the National Parliamen- tary Tournament of Excellence, the debate equivalent
topical issues. I always take the affirmative, and Nick takes the opposition.
Nick: Once we’ve done our research, we discuss what we have together and brainstorm. Sometimes one of us will find a hole in the other’s argument. We really get along well. We better. We spend a lot of time together.
Sounds like you need to be an expert on a lot of issues.
Elvis: This is where Dave Romanelli, our coach, is so valuable. He can usually pre- dict the topics. They’re current events. So you’ll usually see
something on the economy, the EU, the Middle East.
Nick: Once the topic is an- nounced, you have 20 minutes to prepare. We open our laptops and look at the notes we’ve pre-written. Dave is looking up stuff, too. We have an overwhelming amount of information on our laptops. In the old days, debaters would carry card catalogs.
Has being a debater helped you academically?
Nick: It’s the best way to prepare for a cocktail party ever. No matter what a person is talking about, you know something.
Elvis: The kinds of discussions Nick and I have go beyond what I’ve learned in class. I may go to law school, or I might go into some kind of advocacy work, something where I can work for social change. Debate has prepared me for that.
ISSUE HERE
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